Kate’s New Topple

What is the purpose of your Topple?

The purpose of the Topple is help get a book published about our experience adopting our daughters Rhoda and Maria from Uganda, East Africa.

What are your hopes and dreams for what happens when the Topple falls and the purpose gets met?

There are millions of orphans all over the world that do not have someone kissing them good night and telling them that they are loved. Our hope is that as a result of sharing this story that an extraordinary number of orphaned children from anywhere in the world (or right next door) would find their “forever families”. We also hope that the book encourages people to listen and act on the invitation offered to them to make a positive difference.

Describe the moment of inspiration behind this Topple.

The inspiration for the book comes from the life changing experience of adopting our daughters Rhoda and Maria. While at the orphanage in Uganda I was sitting on the grassy field with a mob of beautiful children beckoning for attention. As the children crawled all over my lap, I thought to myself, “ We are only bringing home two. What about Johnny, Jamison, David, Michelle, Rachel, etc…?” Since that day, I’ve known I needed to share our story in the hope of connecting other families with children in need of love, a home, a Mom and Dad.

What is the history behind the Topple, and how did you come to think, "I need to do something?”

We were not pursuing adoption when we came across a picture on my sister's bulletin board. In the picture were two little girls sitting in a toy car. The picture, though cute, did not pull me in., but as the day wore on, there was a pressing in of one simple question. "What about you?"

We already had two young children, but we believe in divine appointments and this clearly was an invitation bigger than me or my husband Mark, our marriage, or our family. With the call so clear, we decided to do the legwork and see where the invitation led. Before long we found ourselves traveling to Uganda and bringing our girls, Rhoda and Maria, home to their forever family.

The movie Slumdog Millionaire so graphically shows what life can be like for vulnerable orphans with no one to care for them, love them and protect them. When I think about the possibility of my children becoming orphaned, it would be my hope that some family out there would take them in and love them as their own. As a person who values the gift of life I want every child to be valued, cared for and loved.

Will there be a financial beneficiary?

As this story grows from idea into reality, we will use the proceeds from book sales to build an adoption foundation. This foundation will support families interested in pursuing adoption from Welcome Home Africa (the orphanage where Rhoda and Maria came from) as well as any other orphanage in the world.

A bit about you - who’s behind the Topple?

I’m currently a stay at home mom of six children. Previously, I served as a program director, educator, coach, and counselor working with high school and college students as well as secondary and postsecondary educators. My greatest joy is seeing individuals and groups of people unleash the genius within and truly live the life they were meant to live. My husband Mark, in addition to being the busy father of our six children, currently holds the position of Morris Chair in State and Local Government Finance and Policy at Michigan State University.

Kate is asking Topplers.org to help make it possible for her to tip over the next dominos in her topple. These dominos (people like you) can help tip over the next domino in the chain that leads the book getting published by:

Reading and commenting on the draft.
Connecting Kate to a publisher.
Providing first hand experiences/advice for an author like herself.
Or simply connect Kate to someone else the might be able to help.

Everyone that can help will get an official Topplers.org uniquely numbered domino from Kate. This domino can then be passed on to the next person in the chain, creating a traceable topple that will link and recognize every person helped Kate accomplish her dream of getting the book published and children finding their forever families.

To join, click here to email Kate.